For the aging in place crowd...

[wtg]

I had a company that does home renovations over to our house to give me quotes on a few possible projects. We're not in a rush to do them (except for the first one, the ramps) but wanted to get an idea of how we might make our house more accessible, especially for bathing.

One estimate was for the portable ramps for the front door, which was pretty much a Day 1 requirement so I could easily get Mr wtg in and out of the house. They were recommending 3 foot ramps (steeper slope than my 4' ramps that I mentioned in my other thread).

Contractor Installed price: $1711
WTG price: $450.

Aside: It was less expensive to buy the EZ-Access ramps via Home Depot than to order direct from the manufacturer. Go figure.

The second estimate is for a tub/shower transfer seat. Really makes a lot more sense than trying to make a shower into a usable bathing area. The Shower Glyde unit they recommend looks kind of slick and would work for us.

Didn't shop around much, but the price on the manufacturer's website is just under $600. The renovation company's "assembled and installed" price is $1699.

Last one, with a shout out to @andyd , as this seems to be a UK company.. a stair lift, which we would need to get him up to the second floor so he could use the transfer seat...the reno company has just started using this product so it's new to them.

https://www.otoliftstairlifts.co.uk/

Comes in at just under $23K. I think there are less expensive alternatives for stair lifts, but as I said, access to the second floor isn't a Day 1 priority so that one stays on the back burner with the transfer seat for a while.

@andyd - are you familiar with the stair lift company?

[Daniel]

The Shower Glyde looks well engineered.

I'm curious why they recommended a steeper ramp? There are a lot of places here with ramps. Either way, a must have if you have any steps.

I'd like to find out how much tube elevators cost one day just out of curiosity. Probably a fortune.

I'm not buying a place without either direct entry on a first floor or a building with an elevator. This rules out many 2 story buildings.

Good luck.

[Daniel]

I see my question was answered in your other thread. Trial and error. That's the best.

[CHAS]

Thanks for the info. Will be watching this thread.

[Mik]

I’ll read most of the info later but don’t let the guy talk you into steeper ramps. They may be ADA compliant but that standard is just the maximum slope you can have. Doesn’t mean it’s the best. I fought a lot of battles over this when I was in charge of the clubhouse.

[AndyD]

The company my family used is Stannah
https://www.stannah.com/our-homelifts

Their stairlifts are electric powered, have controls built into the seat, and come with two remotes to call & work the chair movement.

Never seen any Homelift. Guessing they are way more convenient to use for wheelchair bound people who simply roll in and out, but way more expensive and messy to install.
On the other hand the homelift appears discreet if you have the space. I feel the stairlifts mess up your stairs making them slightly awkward for able bodied. And there's the less than attractive chair.
Suppose it depends on the disability, your house, taste.

[AndyD]

Couple of other things came to mind depending on what you need:
Wet room, so practical, where the whole bathroom floor is waterproofed for a shower.
A larger shower tray, we have 900x1200 in the downstairs bathroom, bought to accommodate dogs washing but the space is really nice to use. Of course the tray is raised an inch up from the floor but you can easily access & sit.
They advertise baths (usually being used by some glamorous woman with a bad back?) with door and in-built seat. I've never seen but would worry about leakage. And baths are awkward to get in and out for everyone at the best of times, never mind helping someone else who can't manage.

[Daniel]

I don't know why they would advise steeper as I said. Seems counter-intuitive.

I've only seen one stair lift. No clue the brand. My driving service days. I brought Mrs. Norman Vincent Peale home to her house on Quaker Hill. The last thing I heard was her babbling about how Jews were deed restricted on Quaker Hill as she glided up the stairs.

For the record, it used to be true, it's not true now, and it wasn't true when she said it.